Canacona KTC bus stand in need of urgent attention

28 Jun 201806:39am IST

28 Jun 201806:39am IST

The Canacona bus stand has not been renovated for years and it is visible to everyone with missing sheets on the roof and the general poor maintenance and no one seems to be doing anything about it

Canacona town KTC bus stand at Chaudi built 14 years ago for the convenience of the residents and interstate commuters has been waiting to see a face lift. The bus stand is once again the focus of local’s attention, as the ultra modern bus stand, which was built in 2004 has some missing roofing sheets, the drainage gutters have corroded beyond repair and has become riddled with broken toilet pans and dysfunctional flushes putting the passengers to inconvenience and hardships.

Passengers regularly using the bus stand said that at least 5 to 6 overhead roofing sheets have been blown away with the strong winds and are waiting to be replaced resulting in water leakages inside the bus stand. The modern KTC bus stand at Chaudi in Canacona with a built-up area of 2670 sq. mts was conceptualized on modern lines and was completed in 2004 and has been a land mark of sorts in the taluka for its aesthetic looks and breath taking architecture, built at a cost of little above Rs.3 crores. This bus stands out in the town as the roof of the bus stand is designed as a wave supported by columns and trusses representing palm trees. It has commercial spaces both at the front and back of the stand, there are in all 24 shops, one canteen and an RTO office which gives Kadamba Transport Corporation at least Rs. 4 lakhs in income each month. Locals said the bus stand had not seen any repairs since it was built leaving it to the vagaries of harsh weather which has taken a toll on the metal framework of the bus stand. It corroded to a large extent, a look at the ceiling one can see the corroded beams and pillars and needs immediate repair and repainting.The shop keepers who do business in the shops taken on rent from the KTC say that the bus stand is riddled with xxx ranging from cow dung, defunct lightes, leaking roof, worn out paint, hand bills pasted on the walls and to top it all there are constant complains and arguments as the toilet attendant is allegedly found overcharging for the use of toilet facilities which has broken toilet pans, nonworking flushes and leaking taps.Thousands of passengers use this bus stand to reach their destination on a daily basis and are made to face the hardships as complains to the incharge at the KTC bus stand here or higherups have fallen on deaf ears alleged a local who travel daily to his work place in Margao. A daily commuter says that till date he has never noticed any repairs and feels the KTC management has to undertake audit to ascertain the structural stability as the beams are corroded and the metal gutters on the edge of the roof have fallen off at some places.A shop keeper at the bus stand pointed out to the over a dozen of two wheelers parked inside the bus stand which place is earmarked for buses to halt. Lamenting over the state of the affairs another shop keeper wanting not to be named requested for repairing and repainting of the entire structure to arrest further degradation of the building and to restore it to the past glory he said.